Welcome To Your Life
by infinity-writerrr
Summary: Set after Iron Man 2, leads into The Avengers - For 15 years, Tony lived without any knowledge that he was a father. Until one day a letter is delivered to his office that changes everything.
1. Chapter 1

Three Months Before

* * *

It had been just a standard mail delivery; just a few parcels dropped into his office and a few dozen letters tossed across his desk. But it had become so much more than that, so much more than Tony ever imagined.

"This...is a weird letter," Tony squinted, picking up the heavy white envelope. "Private, confidential _and_ delivered in person rather than in the rest of the mail,"

Happy sat over on the couch in the corner, watching as Tony played around with the letter, investigating the address it came from and the name on the front. It was definitely for him, Happy had inspected it before bringing in with the other deliveries.

"Seems important," Happy added.

"Hmm," Tony mused, ripping it open.

Happy watched the man's eyes skim over a few lines before his lips parted and eyes widened. It was a look that Happy had never seen before. Even after watching Tony become an armoured hero, almost losing everything, almost dying, he had never seen the expression on his face in that moment.

"Boss?" he asked quietly. "Everything okay?"

Tony didn't respond, flicking over pages and pages of the envelopes contents and drawing his brows together in concern at each word.

"Get Pepper in here," he spoke quietly. "I think I need a lawyer,"

* * *

Grace awoke with a fright, hearing a plate shatter from another room. Body jolting up in bed, she quickly adjusted to the loud screaming on the other side of the wall, rubbing her tired eyes and letting out an annoyed sigh as she fell back against her pillow.

"How are we meant to pay rent if we aren't getting the cheques!"

"What do you want me to do Jen? I can't argue with social services!"

Grace didn't even need to know the specifics of their conversation, it was one she had heard so many times before over the years. Just when she began to get comfortable in a new home with a new family, she would be pulled and thrown into another. It had been two years since she stopped letting herself settle in somewhere, stopped making friends and stopped believing she would finally have a home.

"They can't just take her,"

"They can," Phil explained. "They've found a blood relative,"

Grace's eyes opened in shock, her lips parting as she took in a sharp breath. _A blood relative._ It was impossible. She had been in foster homes her whole life, there was no family out there for her. Every kid in a foster home had the thread dangled in front of them once or twice before. The thread of a family, a real home and belonging out there somewhere, and each time it was ripped from them.

Pulling on her old sneakers and grabbing her jacket, Grace marched out of the room and slammed the door.

"Grace!" Jen called out, seeing the teenager head toward the door. "You're not going out!"

"A social worker is coming by in an hour Grace," Phil told her calmly. "You need to be here,"

"So I can be assigned to my next bullshit stopover family?" she shook her head. "I'm not sticking around for that,"

"If you're not here, we don't-"

"You don't get your money this month, I know," she groaned. "I'm sure you'll get a new kid soon,"

With one last glare toward her temporary caregivers, Grace turned toward the door, slipping her arms into her coat. But it seemed she wasn't going to escape the visit of the department she knew all too well.

As she opened the door, standing outside on the front step of the run-down apartment was the social worker scheduled to arrive in an hours time.

"Hello Miss Greene," the man smiled. "Heard you weren't great at keeping appointments, so I thought I'd come a little earlier,"

* * *

Pepper sat by Tony's side as the lawyer looked over all of the paperwork, piling it up into a mountain that seemed to grow and grow. All of it was legal ramblings, covering all bases to make sure Tony was protected from whatever was about to come out in the press about any of this.

"This isn't the first time someone's claimed Tony as the father of their child," Pepper spoke up, remembering all of the times she was the one in charge of sorting out that mess.

"Except this time no one's claiming it," the lawyer sighed. "The mother isn't around to prove a thing,"

"She's...not around?" Pepper asked, confused.

"She passed away when the child was three and half years old,"

At that, Tony finally spoke up from his still and silent demeanour he had been sporting for the last twenty minutes.

"Wait, run that by me again?" he asked, confused.

"Leah Greene, the woman you remember," the lawyer spoke, lifting up the photo of the woman Tony had been looking at all day. "She's deceased,"

"It didn't say that in the letter," Tony sighed, shaking his head. "So who's claiming all this?"

"Leah's father. He's been in a care facility since Leah passed away, and last week he too passed away. In his will was a statement from Leah and himself, identifying you as the father of Leah's daughter,"

"That doesn't make any sense," Tony scoffed. "Why didn't he expose it all when she died?"

"It says it all in the statement," he explained, handing Tony the document. "You can read it if you like. Basically, he wasn't a fan of you or the fact you allegedly got his daughter pregnant. Didn't want you in the picture unless it was the very last option, and now that he's passed away, we seem to be at the last option."

"So where's the daughter? Was she was the grandfather?" Pepper asked as Tony read over the letter.

"The daughter had no idea about the grandfather. She's been in the system since Leah's passing,"

Tony heart sunk at the lawyers words. Regardless of whether this child was his or not, the idea of a three and a half year old being thrown into foster homes and the social service circus was horrible.

"When can a test be done?" Tony asked.

As absurd as it was to imagine the idea of Tony being a father, there was a very real chance of it being true. Tony remember Leah, he remembered the week he spent with her in Vegas all those years ago, and he knew that this wasn't another false accusation. This was a real possibility.

"We can start the process right now,"

* * *

Sitting in the office of her social worker, Grace tapped mindlessly against the desk with her feet, chewing on her gum loudly as if all of these sounds would drown out all of the chaos going on around her. This was the furthest she had been in finding a family member, and yet she still didn't believe anything would come of it.

They had DNA samples, they had paperwork, they had everything they needed to convince her that it wasn't a dream or a prank. But Grace was far too comfortable in her constant state on denial.

"Where am I off to this time Mike?" she asked, watching the man walk into the room and close the door. "I haven't been North for a while, why not send me that way?"

"You know, you're acting a lot like you don't _want_ to get out of the system," Mike sighed. "How many times have we talked about this Grace?"

Watching him, the smile fell from her face.

"And how many times has it been real? How many times have I been pulled from homes, promised a _real_ family and a nice house and a school? It's all bullshit and you know it,"

"Not this time," he announced, sliding over a file.

Grace looked at the papers in front of her, glancing between them and the man behind the desk. There was no hint of joking, no sign of doubt, only patience. Grace reached out for the file, pulling it into her lap as she flipped open to the first page.

It was an overview of all the tests that had been run over the past few weeks, ensuring all bases were covered and complete accuracy was achieved. Results had been checked multiple times, all signed by the correct officials.

But as she flipped to the next page, her heart beating out of control, her body anxious and trembling, she was sure there had been a mistake.

"Anthony... _Stark?_ " she asked, looking up at Mike. "Stark? As in...as in _Tony Stark_?"

* * *

One Day Before

Tony sat out on the balcony of his Malibu home, looking out at the waves crashing against the shore beneath the cliff, listening to the wind blow wildly. It was almost midnight, but Tony had no plans to try and sleep. It was going to be useless.

These past fews days had been the hardest in his life, and that was saying something. In all these years, Leah Greene had never crossed his mind. Since the last night they spent together in Vegas all those years ago, she had been lost among his memories. And all that time, she had given birth to their child and raised her for three years on her own without a single word to the billionaire.

And now that child, _his_ child, had suffered through a life he wouldn't wish on anyone.

Tony always thought that when he became a father, he would devote all he had to making sure their life was better than his own. They would be appreciated, nurtured and supported all through their life. And they would be safe and loved always, they would never have to question that.

And now, without his knowledge, he had ruined all of that.

"Tony?"

Turning to Pepper's tired voice, Tony did his best to reassure her with a small smile.

"Just getting some air," he told her softly. "Go back to bed,"

Ignoring his words, Pepper walked over to him and placed her hands on either side of his face, feeling him lean into her touch. Pepper knew every tone of his voice and what it all meant, and right now she knew he didn't want to be alone.

"Talk to me," she encouraged.

Tony closed his eyes, lifting a hand to place on top of hers, feeling her warmth.

"I don't know if I can do this," he admit quietly. "I'm not a father, Pepper. Maybe this kid is better off without me,"

"This girl has been from family to family her whole life," Pepper shook her head. "Now she finally has a _real_ family, and that's you. I bet all her life she dreamed of having a father, and now you're here,"

"She dreamed of having a father, not me. Look at everything I've done in my life Pep, and all that time...that girl, my _daughter_..."

Pepper held Tony close, pressing a kiss to the top of his head.

"Don't do this to yourself," she pleaded. "You have a chance now to give this girl a life, a _good_ life. You are the only family she has in this world, and I know you would never turn your back on that,"

Tony nodded, knowing that no matter how much he argued with himself or how much guilt he felt, leaving his daughter to anyone else wasn't an option.

"Her mom seemed to hate my guts, her grandfather too," he shook his head. "Maybe she'll hate me too,"

"Let's just focus on meeting her tomorrow, okay? One day at a time,"

"Right," Tony nodded, rubbing his eyes. "If I don't have a heart-attack before then,"

* * *

The Day They Met

Grace wore a pair of black jeans with her sneakers, a maroon hoodie thrown on over her long brown hair which had a matching black beanie pulled down over the top. To anyone else, she looked like a typical fifteen year old teenager. But to everyone else in the quiet, emptied-out cafe, she was Tony Stark's surprise offspring.

"How long do I have to be here?" she asked Mike who walked beside her toward the cafe doors.

"Depends," he sighed. "Getting to know your father can take some time,"

Folding her arms in annoyance, Grace bit down on her lip as she paused by the door. The moment she walked inside, she was officially going to be someone's daughter. And not just a temporary one.

Inside the cafe, Tony saw the teenager approaching, and then stopping just outside the door. His heart almost jumped out of his chest with worry as he considered the possibility of the child running off, refusing to take a step inside to meet him. He couldn't blame her at all if that's what she chose to do, but just seeing a glimpse of the girl make Tony wish she was right in front of him.

From his research, he had found a few baby pictures of Grace along with some of her and Leah when she was a baby. But nothing about what she looked like now. He wanted to see for himself the reflection of Leah in her looks, the reflection of himself.

Pepper sat by his side, squeezing his hand, watching the same girl outside pull the door open and step into the cafe.

Tony's lips parted at the sight of the girl, immediately seeing Leah. She looked just like her mother, she had her nose and her frame, even the way she walked mimicked Leah. But as each step brought her closer, Tony could see parts of himself in the teenager's looks.

With all tests aside, with no context or knowledge of anyone else, Tony knew this girl was his daughter.

"Mr. Stark," Mike greeted, extending his hand for Tony to shake before turning to the girl at his side. "This is Grace."


	2. Chapter 2

Pepper looked over to where Tony sat across from Grace, worrying that leaving them together on their own wasn't the best idea. But Mike had insisted that it was the best way for them to get to know one another, without the influence of either of them sitting by their sides.

"She looks terrified," Pepper noted.

"So does he," Mike added, glancing over at the pair.

A moment passed before Pepper turned back to the social worker, taking a sip of her coffee before speaking.

"She didn't want to come here, did she?"

"Grace has had a lot of...false alarms," he explained, frowning. "There's never been anywhere permanent for her, and I don't think she realizes yet that Tony is actually her father and there's no changing that."

They both looked back over to the table in the corner, wondering what the two were talking about.

So far all Tony could do was stare back into the eyes of his daughter, his own eyes wide with wonder and curiosity. She mirrored his big, brown eyes, and he could easily get lost in them. There was so much he wanted to know, to ask, and yet he restrained himself from doing so.

If anyone here deserved answers, before anyone else, it was Grace.

"You look like her," Tony admit after a few moments of silence.

"My mom?" Grace asked, voice soft and cautious. "You remember her?"

"I do, yeah," he nodded. "Especially seeing you, I feel like I'm looking right at her,"

Grace looked down at her hands, fidgeting in her lap.

"Sometimes I forget what she looked like," she told him softly. "And what her voice sounded like. I can barely remember,"

Watching Grace closely, Tony's heart ached. This girl, his daughter, had lived without her parents for so long she couldn't even remember what it was like. She couldn't remember the sound of her mother's voice, and until today she had never imagined having a father. It made him feel sick to his stomach that his own daughter had lived with such pain and loneliness while he carried on his lavish lifestyle.

"She sounded as beautiful as she looked," Tony reminded. "And she was smart, and she was funny, and very out of my league,"

Grace smiled slightly at his words, her face lifting to meet Tony's gaze.

"Did she like you?" she asked.

"Not at first," Tony chuckled. "But no one really does,"

Another moment went by in silence as Grace thought about her mother and Tony meeting all those years ago. In all her life, Grace had created an idea of who her father would be, and she would have never guessed it to be Tony Stark.

This man had been all over the news since she was a child, and she remembered watching along with the rest of the world when the billionaire was revealed to be Iron Man. Not only was the man a public figure, but he was now a saviour and hero to those who he protected. He was everything children dreamed their parents would be and yet Grace didn't feel the overwhelming excitement she should have. Instead she felt fear and worry.

The life her father led and the life she led were very different on so many levels. It was one thing to be rejected by a mother and father who weren't her own, but to be shunned by the father she had wondered about her whole life would crush her. Which is why she never let herself believe he was out there.

"Why didn't you know about me?" she asked, cutting to the point.

The small smile on Tony's face fell slightly, fearing the question. He knew it was one he had to answer, and he knew it was one she needed to ask. If he was in her place, it would be the first thing out of his mouth.

"I used to be...well, I was a lot _less_ mature than I am now," Tony explained. "Not fit to be a father, and I think your mom knew that, and I think she knew it'd be better for you if I didn't know,"

"That worked out wonders," Grace muttered.

"She made the right choice. I wasn't in any shape to think of anyone other than myself, and you would have grown up to hate me," he continued.

"At least I wouldn't have grown up in a different home every couple of months, in a new place, surrounded by strangers," Grace countered. "Why didn't you go back to her? Why didn't you check up on her?"

Tony could feel his heart pick up it's pace, feeling the pain of every word Grace spoke and the guilt swirling in his stomach.

"I was a different person back then-"

"You didn't plan to see her again, did you?" she asked. "It's fine, it's not like I had a picture of my parents being a fairytale couple."

To hear Grace refer to him as a 'parent' almost took his breath away, hearing how real this all was.

"I wasn't the greatest guy back in the day," Tony admit. "But if I had any idea about you, I would have done everything to find you,"

Grace looked up at him, watching his expression, the desperation in his eyes. Tony Stark was telling her the truth, and she could see that. The man she had witnessed on the news being so arrogant and selfish was the same man sitting across from her now, and she wasn't sure which was real.

"It doesn't make sense for you to be my father," she shook her head. "None of this makes sense to me. You're...you're _Tony Stark._ I remember seeing you on TV when I was a kid, I remember people talking about you, I remember you going missing, I watched you announce you were Iron Man! You...you _can't_ be..."

It was hard to ignore the hurt Tony felt at Grace's denial, but he had to remember that it was the same denial he felt when he first found out about her. It was too overwhelming to see any logic or truth, they were so far from each other's worlds. And denial was all Grace knew. All through her life she could never let herself feel safe or assured of anything or anyone, and it was a hard habit to rid.

"I know it doesn't seem real, but...you _are_ my daughter," he nodded. "Four DNA tests by the best labs I know. I wouldn't drag you into any of this if there was even a chance of doubt, I know what you've been through."

"You don't know anything about me," Grace denied. "You don't know what I've been through or what my life has been, you've only read a file. I've never even _seen_ a mansion with my own two eyes and that's what you call home. I don't know anything about your world. This little cafe? This is probably the fanciest place I've set foot. Look at me, I look more like a homeless junkie than I do Tony Stark's kid,"

"You think all that is important to me? That's it's all about status and appearances and _money_?" he asked, becoming defensive. "I don't give a shit about any of that, _any_ of it. I don't care if you wear a paper bag and never shower, you are still my daughter and I will regret for the rest of my life that I never knew you were born."

Tony could see Grace's eyes growing with water and he wondered if it was from sadness or frustration, but he didn't say a word. He let her sit in silence, ignoring the fact that Pepper and Mike were very obviously watching them closely since their voices began to rise moments earlier.

Nothing in Tony's life mattered more than right now, convincing his daughter that she didn't need to be anything other than who she was in order to be his child. There was no mold she had to fit into, no standards she had to meet, no expectations.

"So what is all of this?" she asked, genuinely confused. "Do you...do you _want_ to be my dad? Do we play happy family?"

"It's all up to you Grace, I won't make you do a thing you don't want to do. I know my life seems crazy and I sometimes do a lot of stupid things and I'm not the most mature guy and I don't make great decisions, but _you_ are my first priority now. Above anything and everything."

"You don't know me," she shook her head, voice soft and far less defensive. "You don't know what I'm like, you don't know if you'll even want me-"

"I am not one of those foster homes," he assured firmly. "If you choose to come live with me, that's it. That's your home, always. I'm not leaving you, I promise. I missed out on 15 years of your life, I don't plan on missing any more."

Grace wanted to believe his words, and to an extent she did, but there had been so many times she heard this speech from others and it never went to plan. It never lasted, and it would be stupid for her to believe this time would be different, even if it felt real.

* * *

Pepper had offered to drive a dozen times, but Tony insisted he wanted to. After the whirlwind of emotions at the cafe and watching Grace leave with the social worker, Tony wanted to take his mind off things and focus on the road back to their Malibu home. But Pepper couldn't stop worrying. The way Tony's hands gripped the steering wheel, the way his jaw clenched and the silence they had been sitting through for ten minute was eating away at her.

"Tony," she began softly. "Don't shut me out,"

With a gentle sigh, Tony shook his head, slowing to a red light.

"I'm not trying to," he admit.

"Then talk to me, what are you thinking about?" she asked, reaching over to rest her hand on his thigh.

"I want her to be with me," he told her, his voice low and nervous as he continued to drive. "I have no idea how I'm going to be a father and I don't know if she even likes me, but I...I can't _stand_ the thought of her out there living in some group home with strangers or social workers. I'm her father, she is _my_ daughter and I want to be the one who looks out for her."

Pepper couldn't help smile a little at his words. He could call himself immature all day, and the media could portray him that way as many times as they'd like, but Pepper knew the truth. The things that were important to Tony Stark always came first, and there was not one ounce of selfishness or immaturity when it came to taking on his daughter.

"She wouldn't have came today if she didn't like you Tony," Pepper assured.

"She almost didn't, and she seems to already have a pretty good idea of who I am thanks to my whole life playing out in front of her in the news," he explained.

"Give her time. She's spent 15 years without a father and to find out he's someone so well known, it would be scary. Mike told me this isn't the first time they thought they found her family," Pepper frowned. "I can't imagine what she's thinking. She needs time to process everything that's happened in the last few weeks and especially after today. But that absolutely doesn't mean she dislikes you,"

A few more minutes passed in silence as Tony thought about Pepper's words. Grace needed time, he knew that, but after so long without knowing he had a daughter, all he wanted right now was to be the father she needed for so long. But too much had happened for that to be so simple so quickly.

As they continued their drive around Malibu at sunset, Tony imagined the life Grace could have with him. Everything new she could experience, everywhere new she could visit, friends she could make, a family.

"I know we haven't talked about...about how weird this could be for us," Tony began. "And I'm new to this whole stable relationship thing...but I know that bringing a kid into all of this isn't what either of us were expecting-"

"Tony," Pepper shook her head, cutting him off. "She is your daughter. Yes, it's going to change things, but I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to be here through whatever happens, and I will do anything I can to help give Grace the life she deserves,"

With one more turn, Tony had driven into the long driveway of the Malibu mansion and pulled over abruptly. Before Pepper could say a word, he leaned over and crushed his lips to hers in a desperate, loving kiss.

"You're something else, you know that?"


	3. Chapter 3

Looking down at the tattered copy of _Harry Potter_ in her hands, Grace tried to begin the chapter once again while ignoring Lewis chatting away beside her, but it became almost impossible to take in any words on the paper with his voice constantly by her ear. Even if this happened to be the one book Grace had lost count of reading, it was the only way to get her mind off all the chaos going on.

But all of that chaos was the only thing Lewis could talk about.

"So you could be living in a mansion in Malibu?" he asked for the tenth time, his eyes still wide. "And you're still here in this shit hole?"

Rolling her eyes, Grace closed the cover of the book she knew she wasn't going to get to read that afternoon. The group home she was staying in might not have been a five star hotel, or even a two star, but it was all that she knew.

"This isn't moving into a new family for a few months," she huffed, frustrated. "This is...that'll be the rest of my life,"

Lewis stared back at her with a frown. He had known Grace for years as each of them went in and out of foster homes, eventually always making their way back to the same group home together. But through it all, there had been one dream they both shared - finding their home. A home they would never have to leave, a home they were always wanted and welcomed.

"Do you know how many people would kill to be in your shoes?" he asked. "And not because you're going to have this amazing house or lifestyle, but because you have a father out there that _wants_ you. He wants you in his life, which is more than any of us could even imagine,"

"It's different," she shook her head.

"Different how?"

"All those homes, all those families...we all run our course there, don't we? No one ever wants to have a foster kid longer than they have to, and who's to say a real parent isn't the same?" she explained, her voice trailing off softly. "At least when a carer doesn't want me they can send me back here, but where's he going to send me?"

Lewis looked back at his friend sadly, shaking his head at her words.

"You're scared he won't want you, and you haven't even given him a chance,"

"It's not hard math Lewis," she scoffed. "One unwanted kid who has holes in every piece of clothing, and one billionaire who's probably never worn the same shirt twice. Trust me, it's not gonna work."

"Not with that attitude," he mumbled, sitting back against the wall and folding his arms. "Can you do me and every else here a favour?"

Grace looked back at the boy with a small glare, knowing he was going to continue with this topic.

"Lewis-"

"For all of us who haven't got shit, who've got no one out there wanting us, just give it a shot," he pleaded. "You owe it,"

* * *

Tony stood by the door of the once spare room, looking around at everything he had moved in there over the past few days. It was everything a teenager could want and need, but it wasn't so much that it was overwhelming, especially to someone coming from very little.

"I don't want her to think I'm trying to win her over with money and...and _things_ ," Tony worried, his voice nervous and uneasy.

"You're overthinking it," Pepper shook her head. "This is perfect,"

"I know it's only one night and I _know_ she might not want to jump straight into all of this just yet...but I hope she's comfortable here," he added. "I hope she knows this is her room, whenever she wants it."

It had been two days since Mike had contacted Tony letting him know Grace was ready to visit, and had agreed to trial one night in her possibly new home, and Tony had been panicked ever since. This was what he wanted, without a doubt, and yet he had never been so worried. If Grace didn't feel comfortable here, that was it. If she didn't like the house, if she didn't like Tony or Pepper, that was it.

There was a lot at stake, and even compared to all the horrors Tony had seen in the past few years, he had never been more on edge.

Hours passed since Tony had last looked at the clock, knowing that time would just slow down the more he watched it, and it was now almost six. He was beginning to think Grace might have changed her mind as the minutes ticked by, but soon enough Jarvis had informed him that a car was approaching.

"Pepper!" he called out, knowing she was in the next room at her desk. "She's here!"

Tony hurried over to the door, hesitating whether or not he should meet them outside or wait for a knock at the door. Every single move he made was overthought and that was new to Tony - and he hated it.

He chose to open the door and stand outside, watching the car drive closer until it eventually parked in the bay by the path. Pepper had followed him out, smiling toward Grace and Mike as they both stepped out of the car.

"It's nice to see you both again," Pepper greeted.

"You too Ms Potts," Mike smiled, extending his arm. "Mr. Stark,"

"Hope the drive wasn't too crazy, traffic around here is a little insane," Tony conversed, hoping his nerves would fade away soon. "Grace, please tell me you like pizza."

A small smile pulled at the teen's lips.

"Yeah, it's in my top 5 foods,"

"Top 5 foods, huh? I'll need to here these rankings," he chuckled.

"Lucky for you Tony isn't making the pizza," Pepper added. "So it should be safe to stay in your top 5,"

Grace laughed at the woman, feeling slightly more at ease. The whole situation wasn't exactly awkward, but it was far from normal. They were all nervous, and they could all tell.

"Would you like to come in, Mike?" Pepper asked. "I've just put on some coffee if you'd like some for the road,"

"I can't say no to coffee," Mike smiled, following Pepper inside.

That left Grace and Tony standing outside the front door silently, wondering what they were supposed to do next. Grace had spent nights at potential foster homes many times before, but this was very different to those visits. This felt more real. More permanent.

"Want to bring your stuff inside?" Tony asked after a moment.

"Uh, yeah," Grace nodded, carrying in her overnight bag.

Tony opened the door for Grace to step through, hoping that she wouldn't change her mind the moment she entered the house. Tony knew his tastes were quite expensive, but that was the life he was used to ever since he was a child. But Grace was used to nothing like this, and as a result she always felt unbelievably out of place.

It only took one step onto the marble floor for Grace's lips to part in shock. She had only seen mansions in movies, and this one was bigger and better than them all. Everything looked so new and expensive, she felt like she was walking into a ballroom or museum.

"I can tell you that 90% of the interior design in this house is useless and probably unnecessary," Tony joked, closing the door once they were inside.

"It's...it's bigger than I even imagined," she nodded. "It's nice,"

"You don't have to say that," he chuckled. "It's over-the-top. I knew that when I was designing it,"

"You designed this?" she asked, rather shocked.

"I mean, I was paying for it so I thought it might as well be exactly the way I want it," he shrugged. "You can put your bag down, I'll show you around,"

Grace looked around and chose to sit her bag by the staircase, wondering just how big the house was on the upper level. Tony smiled as she looked around curiously, slowly beginning to relax. He lead her into the living room, explaining that he rarely had guests over to use most of the space in there. A massive television screen took up most of the wall opposite the luxurious sofas, something that Tony told her was perfect for Halloween movie viewings.

"Best movie to watch on that is _Jaws_ ," Tony smirked.

"I haven't seen that," Grace shook her head.

"What? You haven't seen _Jaws_?" Tony frowned, shocked. "It's a classic,"

"Maybe we can watch it one day," Grace suggested without even thinking.

Tony smiled back at her, unable to hold back his grin.

"Absolutely," he nodded. "As long as you don't mind not swimming again for a few months,"

They continued around the house for a few more minutes, Grace's eyes wide with wonder the whole time, while Tony explained that she was welcome everywhere. She might have been just visiting for the night, but as far as Tony was concerned this was now just as much her home as it was his.

As they made their way from the balcony outside into the living room, Grace was startled by the looming voice of Jarvis.

"Sir, Mr. Peters is about to depart,"

Tony could see from the corner of his eyes that Grace jumped at the sound of the A.I voice. He hadn't made it to the explanation of Jarvis just yet, and now he was regretting not informing her sooner.

"That's just the A.I," he assured. "Just a computer program I installed in the house, sort of like..."

"Like an assistant?" she guessed.

"Yeah, an assistant," he nodded with a smile. "Helps me stay on top of things. I call him Jarvis,"

"Jarvis?"

"Yes, Miss Greene?" the A.I responded.

Tony smirked, holding back a small chuckle at her surprise.

"He'll answer to you as well," Tony explained. "If you need anything, if you're looking for anything, he'll help."

"This is crazy," she shook her head, looking up at the ceiling. "He's like Big Brother,"

"He's much nicer," Tony assured with a laugh. "And nowhere near as creepy,"

"So he just...just _watches-_ "

"No, no, purely security and just general helpful-ness," he assured.

"Huh," Grace mused. "So if I asked him what the weather was...?"

Tony smirked and shrugged his shoulders.

"Give it a shot,"

Grace smiled, folding her arms.

"Jarvis, how's the weather?" she asked, feeling slightly odd asking the house a question.

"It is currently 62 degrees outside Miss Greene," Jarvis responded. "There is a 74% chance of rain around 7.30pm this evening,"

Looking up at Tony, Grace's mouth was almost hanging open in awe. She hadn't witnessed anything like it before, and although she had always read stories of Tony Stark's technology fuelled life, she never imagined this.

A few moments later they made their way to the front door once again where Mike stood with a to-go cup of coffee in his hands. He and Pepper were laughing about something, a smile remaining on their lips as they watched the two approach.

"Enjoying the tour?" Pepper asked. "I promise it's not as confusing as it looks. Whoever designed this place must have been out of their mind,"

Grace laughed at that, looking between the woman and Tony as they exchanged a small retort.

"Okay, you all set Grace?" Mike asked. "Pepper's got my number if you need me, but I think you'll be just fine."

"Yeah, I'll be fine," she assured, feeling much more confident about her decision to stay here.

Tony could see the smile on her face was genuine and he swore he hadn't felt so happy in a long time. Grace, his daughter, wanted to be here. All of the worries Tony had leading up to this moment were suddenly silenced by that smile.


End file.
